The present invention generally relates to apparatus and a method for selectively changing the orientation of a mirror, and more specifically, to mirror with integral light sources that is mounted in or on a vehicle and which employs a wireless remote control for changing the field of view of the mirror.
A variety of manually controlled mirrors are typically provided on vehicles, including an interior overhead rear-view mirror, one or more side-view mirrors, and visor mounted vanity mirrors. Another mirror now sold for use in a vehicle is intended for monitoring a child strapped into a rear-facing child car seat. This mirror is mounted and manually positioned so as to enable a driver (or other person) seated in the front seat to view the reflection of a child seated in the rear-facing child car seat by looking at the reflection of that mirror in the conventional overhead rear view mirror.
Several patents have been issued that are directed to mirrors for viewing an infant sitting in a car seat facing toward the rear. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,155 (Brennan et al.) discloses a clamping arrangement for attaching a child monitoring mirror to the back cushion of the rear seat in a vehicle. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,455 (Sorenson) discloses an infant observation mirror that is attached to an infant car seat to enable a driver to view the infant in the conventional interior rear-view mirror. A roof-mounted mirror that is intended for use in conjunction with the conventional interior rear-view mirror for viewing an infant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,898 (Rubin). The roof-mounted mirror is hinged so that it can be folded up into the head liner and can also be used by a passenger sitting in the rear seat as a conventional vanity mirror. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,572 (Cossey) discloses a mirror that is mounted to the back cushion of a rear seat for viewing an infant and which has an adjustable post secured by a pin for controlling the height of the mirror. The mirror is mounted using a spring-loaded bracket that extends over the top back portion of the rear seat cushion in a vehicle.
It would be desirable to enable a user to remotely control the orientation or field of view of a mirror used for viewing an infant. Although the prior art devices noted above enable a driver to manually adjust the orientation of a mirror to enable a rear-facing child to be viewed, such manually adjusted mirrors can readily move out of position due to vibration of the automobile or motion of the supporting seat. The child can also change position sufficiently in a car safety seat so as to be outside the field of view of the driver. To correct the mirror position, a driver should stop the vehicle, and enter the back seat of the vehicle to make an adjustment, return to the driver""s seat in order to check the view, and repeat these steps, if necessary, until the proper mirror orientation is achieved, and then continue driving. Within a short time, the mirror may again need to be readjusted due to automobile vibration, supporting seat movement, a child or toy hitting the mirror, or other disturbances to the mirror or child""s position. It would be unsafe for the driver to adjust such mirrors while driving, and leaning over the front seat to reach the mirror is often not possible, particularly for a short driver. Thus, it would be very desirable to enable a user to remotely readjust the orientation of a mirror with a wireless controller, without leaving the front seat. The adjustment of a remote controlled mirror could safely be accomplished while stopped at a stop sign or stop light.
If a remotely controlled mirror is provided for viewing a child or for other purposes on a vehicle, it would be desirable to provide a user full control over the angular position of the mirror about one or both of the X and Y axes. Such a mirror could be used in many other applications besides viewing an infant. For example, an exterior wireless remote controlled mirror could be mounted on one or both sides of the vehicle that was purchased without exterior side mirrors, or to replace manually adjusted side mirrors. Use of such a wireless remote controlled mirror would eliminate the expense and difficulties of routing direct wire connections between a position controller and the mirror, and would enable greater flexibility in relocating and readjusting the mirror for various purposes.
After dark, it may be difficult to view an infant in a rear-facing seat using a mirror. Interior lighting installed in a vehicle is typically not readily directed toward a child strapped into a rear-facing seat, and the child may not be clearly visible when viewed in a mirror in a poorly lighted vehicle interior. The prior art has attempted to address this problem by providing a separate light source mounted on the end of an adjustable elongate stalk. A remote control enables the light source to be energized when needed to view the child. The elongate stalk may be twisted and positioned as required to direct light from the light source toward the child, but the base may move about and the position of the light source may be thrown out of adjustment if the vehicle hits a bump or if the elongate stalk or light source is inadvertently bumped. Also, the light source is a separate component, which must be positioned separately, each time that a child-viewing mirror is re-installed in a vehicle. Attempting to reposition the light source while driving a car can create a safety hazard.
Motorized side-view mirrors are often provided as factory installed options on vehicles. However, these motorized mirrors are controlled by a factory installed four-position switch that is hardwired to the mirror by a factory installed wiring harness. The four-position switch is typically located near the driver and if two side mirrors are provided, typically includes a selector switch so that the driver can determine whether the left or right side mirror is controlled by the four-position switch. These switches are connected to the vehicle""s electrical system and hardwired to the side mirrors. If a vehicle was purchased without the motorized adjustable side mirrors, there is typically no easy way to retrofit the vehicle with after market add-on mirrors of that type. Thus, it would be desirable to provide wireless remotely controlled side mirrors that can be retrofitted without the need for installing hardwired switches and complex wiring harness.
One remotely adjusted side mirror is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,905 (Jensen). In this invention, which is intended for use on a truck and trailer, a transmitter is mounted at a rear corner of a trailer and directs a signal at an acute angle outwardly from the side of the trailer toward the front of the vehicle. When the truck turns relative to the trailer, the signal from the transmitter is received by a receiver in the outwardly extending rear-view mirror, causing the mirror to change angular position horizontally so that more of the area to the side of the trailer is visible to the driver. When the truck and its trailer are again generally aligned, the signal from the transmitter is no longer incident on the receiver, and the mirror then returns to its normal position in which it shows less of the area to the side of the trailer and more of the area to the rear. In a second embodiment, the transmitter is selectively controlled in response to a steering gear position. However, each embodiment disclosed by Jensen automatically adjusts the position of the mirror in response to the orientation of the vehicle, and not under the control of the user.
Accordingly, it will be apparent that there is a definite need for a wireless remote controlled mirror for use in various vehicle applications. Such a mirror could be used for viewing a child, as a new or replacement side mirror, or as an auxiliary mirror for extending the view of different portions of the environment around a vehicle. For example, an auxiliary mirror that is capable of wireless remote control could be very useful in extending the view of the road when towing a trailer or carrying loads that block the normal rear view mirror view. The ability to remotely adjust the orientation and view of such a mirror with a wireless control would enable the mirror to be positioned where optimum benefit can be achieved, without requiring any wiring to be installed (if a battery supply is provided on the mirror), or if it is desirable to supply vehicle power to the mirror, by providing only a single power lead to the mirror.
In accord with the present invention, a wireless remote controlled mirror is defined that includes a base adapted to attach to an object, a prime mover mounted on the base, and a reflective lens mounted in a housing and drivingly coupled to the prime mover. In addition, a light source supported by the base is selectively energized to emit light. A receiver in electrical communication with the prime mover is adapted to couple to an electrical power source and to detect a wireless command signal from a remote controller that is activated by a user. The receiver thus controls the prime mover in response to the wireless command signal, to cause the prime mover to drive the reflective lens to a desired orientation.
The light source preferably comprises a plurality of discrete spaced-apart light emitting sources, e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit substantially white light. The one or more light sources are disposed in the housing in which the reflective lens is mounted, so that the light sources move with the reflective lens when driven by the prime mover.
The receiver includes a control circuit to selectively activate the light source in response to the wireless command signal. A timer circuit is optionally employed to deactivate the light source after a predefined time interval, so that when selectively activated, the light source only remains energized for the predefined interval. Electrical current to energize the light source and other components of the wireless remote controlled mirror is provided by battery power supply that provides electrical current to energize the prime mover, the receiver, and the light source, and/or by removably coupling the wireless remote controlled mirror to an external power source, such as the electrical system of a vehicle.
The base is adapted to attach to one of a fixed and a removable component used with a vehicle, enabling a front-facing driver of the vehicle to remotely control the reflective lens to view a rear-facing passenger disposed behind a front seat of the vehicle, when the reflective lens is remotely controlled to achieve the desired orientation. The light source is selectively energizable to illuminate the rear-facing passenger.
An additional prime mover is preferably mounted to the base and is in electrical communication with the receiver. The prime movers pivot the reflective lens and the light source about a first axis and a second axis that is generally orthogonal to the first axis, in response to the wireless command signal. The receiver comprises one of a radio frequency receiver, an infrared receiver, a microwave receiver, and an optical receiver.
The remote controller includes a power supply and a wireless transmitter connected to the power supply. A light source switch is connected between the power supply and the wireless transmitter, such that when the light source switch is activated, the wireless transmitter transmits the wireless command signal to the receiver to cause the light source to be energized. A position switch is connected between the power supply and the wireless transmitter, such that when the position switch is activated, the wireless transmitter transmits the wireless command signal to the receiver indicating a direction in which the reflective lens and the light source are to be moved.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for controllably positioning a mirror and a light source that is coupled to the mirror, relative to a base. The method includes steps that are generally consistent with the functions of the apparatus described above.